3 reasons why John Fisher is the anti-Bill Foley for Las Vegas residents
Las Vegas residents were spoiled with the success of the Vegas Golden Knights and Bill Foley. Now a new team might head into town with an unlikable owner.
The Oakland Athletics played their last MLB game ever in the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday, defeating the Texas Rangers, 3-2. Numerous memories were associated with the venue, ranging from Reggie Jackson's heroics to Scott Hatteberg hitting a walk-off home run to extend Oakland's legendary 20-game winning streak (which inspired the movie Moneyball). All of this ended because of one man: John Fisher.
The owner who arguably has the most punchable face in sports made his plans to leave the Bay Area a while back. It started with little things such as running shoestring budgets and not renovating the Coliseum to the point where floods occurred regularly and possums living inside the stadium. You read that right, dear reader. Possums.
Now, Fisher and the Athletics will attempt to compete with Bill Foley and the Vegas Golden Knights for the almighty dollar, hoping to take the crown of the premier sports team in town. However, Foley's not the only franchise the A's are dealing with: The Las Vegas Raiders and their passionate fanbase also reside here and they travel well.
There are many reasons why the Athletics won't become an instant success like the Golden Knights have. It begins with the contrast between both owners and how they operate. But Golden Knights fans won't feel the same love for the (allegedly) local baseball team beyond that. What reasons could Vegas hockey fans have for not caring about the A's swingin' their way to town?
The success of the Vegas Golden Knights in recent years starts with Bill Foley and getting big names
John Fisher has galvanized a reputation as one of the cheapest owners in sports. He's traded away key players before they were set to get a big contract, with the list becoming longer than one of the grocery variety. Think of stars like Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen, to name a few. That alone has put him in the same foul air as other mediocre owners like Daniel Snyder and Fred Wilpon.
Compare that to Bill Foley, who's worked effortlessly to acquire the biggest names in the NHL. Players like Jack Eichel, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Noah Hanifin have made their way to T-Mobile Arena, giving Vegas Golden Knights fans something to be excited about. He even promised a Stanley Cup in six seasons (which he delivered, by the way).
Fisher and the Oakland Athletics can try to paint themselves as a Las Vegas-friendly team to locals. But the shoestring budgets and lack of stadium renovations will still be there, frustrating Las Vegas locals as well. In turn, they'll experience the same pain that Oakland residents did. Speaking of which...
Opposing fans will invade the new stadium, making John Fisher and the Oakland Athletics the road team every game
One thing proposed when the Vegas Golden Knights started in the NHL was the idea of opposing fans invading T-Mobile Arena. The team wasn't going to be successful immediately because they were, well, an expansion team. At least, that's what conventional wisdom told us until they made the Stanley Cup FInal in their inaugural season.
This concept might become a reality for the Oakland Athletics heading to Las Vegas.
The parallels between the Chargers move to LA and the Athletics move to Las Vegas are really quite interesting.
— Taylor Davis (@tay13gup) September 26, 2024
Both teams games are going to be filled with majority visiting fans and celebrities looking for a night out.
That's the harsh reality facing John Fisher and MLB. Sure, he'll get money as opposing fans pour in for a game at the Americanized Sydney Opera House. However, it's not growing the local fanbase organically in the same fashion as Bill Foley and company did.
In fact, the Golden Knights are EXPANDING their outreach efforts outside of Nevada. They recently moved into Arizona with broadcast affiliates, moving ahead with a VGK watch party in Gilbert, Arizona, and ice hockey clinics for the youth. Sure, Fisher and the A's have sponsored events like the Battle for Vegas. However, Foley puts in a more concerted effort in his community, where he's built a strong following.
The problems with the Athletics proposed stadium compared to T-Mobile Arena
One thing Bill Foley never had a problem with that John Fisher has currently is funding for his $375 million stadium. The Vegas Golden Knights owner kept his promise to build a sleek hockey arena for Las Vegas residents, using his private funds to construct the stadium. He also had poignant commentary on why he didn't bother with public funds.
We can better spend that money on firefighters, teachers, and policeman.
Meanwhile, Fisher and the Oakland Athletics are trying to fund their desert opera house through various means. First, $850 million in equity will be put toward the project. Then, there's the $350 million in public funds (despite the team looking for lenders). There are also other means such as debt financing, which will also be a costly venture.
Sure, T-Mobile Arena might be less costly in the pocketbook than the proposed opera house. However, Foley had a plan (and financial partners in MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group) for his arena. Fisher and the Athletics should probably call that a "concept of a plan" since it's what it sounds like for numerous Las Vegas citizens. It's no wonder they don't believe the stadium won't happen. It's also why the Athletics will strike out while the Golden Knights still hit home runs in Las Vegas.
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